RFID tags are known in the art. RFID tags typically include small circuits that are configured to respond to a radio-frequency (RF) signal with a corresponding data transmission. Some RFID tags are self-powered while others are passive in that they rely upon the received RF signal for their operating power (and some RFID tags are a hybrid of these two approaches). RFID tags can and do assume a wide variety of physical form factors as well a variety of circuit components and architecture. These variations reflect, for example, the need to best accommodate a wide variety of items to be tagged as well as anecdotal manufacturer's preferences in these regards.
Many times the RFID tag's data includes information, such as an identifier, that is unique (at least to some extent) to that particular responding RFID tag. The Electronic Product Code (EPC) as managed by EPCGlobal, Inc., for example, represents one such effort in these regards. EPC-based RFID tags each have an utterly unique serial number (within the EPC system) to thereby uniquely identify each tag and, by association, each item correlated on a one-to-one basis with such tags. (The corresponding document entitled EPC Radio-Frequency Identity Protocols Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol for Communications at 860 MHz-960 MHz Version 1.0.9 (often referred to as “EPC GEN2”) is hereby fully incorporated herein by this reference.)
Nascent, unassigned RFID tags are often provided to an end user (such as a manufacturer or retailer) in a bulk format. This can comprise, for example, providing hundreds or even thousands of unassigned RFID tags in a continuous strip in a roll. In this case the end user singulates individual, assigned RFID tags as desired and applies them to a corresponding item being tagged.
Assigning an unassigned RFID tag, in turn, can comprise at least encoding the RFID tag with a unique identifier such as the aforementioned EPC. In many cases this assignment process can also include printing visual content on the RFID tag. This visual content can comprise, for example, text, images, optical codes (such as the well-known universal product code), and so forth as relates to the tagged item, the end user, or virtually any other point of context that one may wish.
As noted above, however, RFID tags vary widely from one another with respect to their physical and electrical types. These differences can lead to problems during the encoding and/or printing stages of the assignment process. Executing the wrong print file, for example, can result in producing assigned RFID tags that are unsuitable for their intended purpose. Even worse, configuring an RFID tag encoder improperly can not only result in failing to encode a given RFID tag but can even result in improperly encoding other RFID tags besides a target RFID tag. In many cases there is little information available to help an attendant understand when an erroneous assignment activity is staged to occur.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.